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Originally Posted by Sil_liS
Coca-Cola and Pepsi can't say "you can only buy directly from us at triple the price that our distributors are offering".
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Yes, they can. And do.
A publisher can sell you a book directly at full price, while a retailer slashes the price by 50% or 75%. It happens all the time, with retailer discounts, used books and remaindered books.
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Originally Posted by Sil_liS
The publishers get the right to have a monopoly over specific titles, shouldn't that right come with some duties as well?
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Sure. They have to pay their taxes and obey the laws, just like everyone else.
If I self-publish a book, I get full control over how that book is distributed. I am not legally or morally required to provide the public with anything. If I decide I don't want libraries to distribute my book, should I be forced to do so?
Why stop at imposing extra duties on publishers? What's so special about libraries, since there are so many public goods? Why not require gasoline companies to provide gas for free to fire departments? Free bullets to police? Free medicines to hospitals?